Drying, distilling and calcining machine



1967 G. E. CARLSON 3,309,074

DRYING, DISTILLING AND CALCINING MACHINE Filed Sept. 8, 1964 2Sheets-Sheet 1 l9 INVENTOR GEORGE E. CARLSON BY M f #f ATTORNEY FIG!March 14, 1967 E. CARLSON DRYING, DISTILLING AND CALCINING MACHINE 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 8, 1954 INVENTOR GEORGE E.CARLSON ATTORNEYUnited States Patent 3,309,074 DRYING, DISTELLENG AND CALCINING MACHINEGeorge E. Carlson, Oakviile, Iowa 52646 Filed Sept. 8, 1964, Ser. No.394,745 3 Qlaims. (Cl. 266-16) This invention pertains to drying,distilling and calcining machines and more particularly to a machinedesigned to distil mercury or other volatile metals from mining ore.

Heretofore the machines used for distilling volatile metals from miningore have been of the blast furnace type with a resultant variation oftemperature and loss of control of the critical temperature fordistilling. Fur thermore machines for this purpose required a coolant tobe used in connection therewith. Particularly useful for the mining ofvolatile ore is a machine that is small and compact for portability.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a machine fordrying, distilling and calcining that provides constant temperature inthe furnace.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drying, distilling andcalcining machine that is small and compact so that it is highlyportable.

Another object of this invention is to provide a drying, distilling andcalcining machine that employs a continuous feed the speed of which canbe controlled independently of the means for propelling ore through themachine.

Further objects and advantages of this machine will become more apparentfrom the following drawings, descriptions and claims.

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of the machine having a partial sectionalview of the inside of the furnace and the condenser pipes. FIG. 2 is atop view of a bottom half of the furnace and a sectional view of thescrew feed taken on line A-A.

In the drawings a furnace 1 has an inner casing 2 and an outer casing 3.The space between them is filled with an insulating material 4 such asasbestos. A table 5 is located inside the furnace 1 so as to berotatable. A spiral 6 having cross arms 7 welded thereto is positionedon the able 5. The table 5 has a lip 8 at its outer edge. The spiral 6has sliding contact with the table 5 and its lip 8. There are slots 9 inthe inner casing 2. The cross arms 7 extend into the slots 9. The spiral6 can thus move up and down in relation to the table 5 and' is also heldstationary as the table 5 turns. A screw 10 feeds ore from a hopper 11onto the table 5. The screw 10 is rotatable in a tube 12. A cap 13screws onto the tube 12 holding a seal 14 against the tube 12. The seal14 also seals the space between a drive shaft 15 for the screw 10 andthe cap 13. The tube 12 has a support 16 fastened to the outer casing 2by the nuts 17. Heating elements 18 are positioned in the furnace 1.

The table 5 has a discharge pipe 19 at its center. The discharge pipe 19fits through a sleeve 20. The sleeve 20 joins the inner casing 2 and theouter casing 3. A cup nut 21 screws onto the sleeve 20. A seal 22 fitsinto the cup nut 21 sealing the space between the cup nut 21 and thesleeve 21 and the space between the discharge pipe 19 and the sleeve 20.The discharge pipe 19 is held from sideward motion by the bearing 22A. Aworm gear 23 has as an integral part of it the clamp 24. The clamp 24 istightened on the discharge pipe 19 by means of the nut and bolt 25. Adrive shaft 26 carries a screw gear (not shown) which engages the Wormgear 23. The drive shaft 26 is carried in bearings 27. The worm gear 23rides on carrier bearing 28. Legs 29 are fastened to the outer casing 3.Arms fastened to the legs 29 support the bearing 22A. The bearings 27and the carrier bearing 28 are fastened to the base 31. Two of theseveral legs 29 are shown in part and may extend any length below thedischarge pipe 19.

A vapor' pipe 32 is attached to the inner casing 2 and extends upwardthrough the outer casing 3 and into condenser pipe 33. The condenserpipe 33 is attached to the uppermost part of the outer casing 3.Condenser pipe 34 is attached to the condenser pipe 33 by means of nutsand bolts 35. Stack 36 is attached to the condenser pipe 34 by means ofnuts and bolts 37. Bafiles 38 are secured to the sides of the condenserpipes 33 and 34. Collecting tubes 39 slide onto the outer ends of thecondenser pipes 33 and 34. t

The top and bottom parts of the furnace 1 are held together by a seriesof nuts 40 and bolts 41 and brackets 42 and 43 of which one of each areshown in FIG. 1.

Bolts 41 are pivotable in brackets 42 which are attached to the lowerpart of outer casing 3. Bolts 41 pivot into brackets 43 which areattached to the upper part of outer casing3. Seal 44 is held between theupper and lower parts of the furnace 1 when the bolts 41 are in place inbrackets 43 and nuts 40 are tightened thereon as shown in FIG. 1.

The temperature in the furnace 1 may be controlled 'by means of gageswitches (not shown) connected to the heating elements 18. Motors (notshown) are used to turn the drive shafts 15 and 26. Gage switches mayalso be connected to the motors.

Ore is placed into the hopper 11. As the screw 10 is turned, the ore isforced through the tube 12 and onto the table 5. The turning of thetable 5 by the worm gear 23 with the spiral 6 in place causes the ore tomove toward the center of the table 5. During the time the ore is on thetable 5 it is heated and the fumes escape through the vapor pipe 32 andinto the condenser pipes 33 and 34. As the vapor is directed toward thecollecting tubes 39 by the baffles 38 it is cooled and condensesallowing the distillate to be collected by placing a container under thecollecting tubes 39. When the heated ore reaches the center of the table5 it falls into the discharge pipe 19 and may be collected in acontainer placed under the discharge pipe 19. The speeds at which thescrew 10 and the table 5 turn may be varied in relation to each other orin relation to the temperature of the furnace 1 depending on theparticular ore used. As the table 5 turns the ore is turned over manytimes due to its movement around the spiral 6 thus giving thoroughheating of the ore. The weight of the spiral 6 causes the table 5 to bescraped clean as the ore moves on the table 5. If necessary tocondensing the vapor more condenser pipes may be added above condenserpipe 34 and stack 36 put at the top of the additional condenser pipes.The collecting tubes 39 are removable from the condensing pipes 33 and34 so that the condensing pipes 33 and 34 may be scraped clean from timeto time.

It is to be understood that various types of heating elements 18 may beused in this machine, such as electricity or gas. Also it is to beunderstood that this machine may be used for drying material other thanore, such as grain. The size of the ore that is to be heated can varywithin certain limits in a specific machine, however it is obvious thatthe machine could be built larger or smaller to accommodate various sizematerial. In the event that the vapor is of such weight that it will notrise through the vapor pipe 32 and into the condenser pipes 33 and 34, avacuum fan may be inserted in the upper portions of the vapor pipe 32 todraw the vapor upwards from the table 5. Since this machine is acontinuous feed machine, it can be run continually with the dischargebeing carried away from the furnace 1 and the vapor carried upwards andinto the collecting tubes 39.

It is to be noted that the furnace 1 has only one moving partlocatedtherein, that being the table 5. Thus the sizeof the furnace 1can be made smaller than other connecting the furnacewith condenserpipes, collecting tubes that slide nto-the endsof the condenser pipes,means to turn the table and the screw feed.

2. A drying, distilling and calcining machine comprised of a furnace,heating elements located inthe furnace, a screw feed protruding into thefurnace, a hopper attached to the screw feed, a rotatable table in thefurnace having a lip at its outer edge, a spiral in sliding contact withthesurface of the table, and the lip of the table, cross arms attachedto the spiral and extending into vertical slots in the furnace, adischarge pipe at the center of the table, a vapor ,pipe connecting thefurnace with several condenser pipes, baflies connected to the sides vofthe condenser pipes, collecting tubes that slide onto the ends'of thecondenser pipes, means'to turn the table and the screw feed.

3.'A drying, distilling and calcining machine comprised of a furnacehaving an'inner casing and. an outer 4 casing with insulation materialbetween the inner casing and the outer casing, heating elements locatedinthe furnace, a screw feed protruding throughthe inner casing and theouter casing of the furnace, a hopper attached to the screw feed, arotatable table in the furnacehaving a lip at its outer edge, a spiralin sliding contact with the surface of the table and the lip of thetable, cross arms attached tothe spiral and extending intovertical slotsin the inner casing, a discharge pipe at:the .center of i the table, avapor pipe connecting the furnace with several condenser pipes, bafllesconnected to the sides of the condenser pipes so as todirect vapor fromthe furnace to the outer ends of the condenser pipes, collecting tubesthat slide onto the outer ends of the condenser pipes, means to turn thescrew feed, a sleeve around the discharge pipe which joins-the innercasing and the outer casing, a cup nut having a seal therein attached tothe sleeve, legs attached to the outer casing, a bearing attached to thelegs and to the discharge pipe, a base attached to the legs, a carrierbearing attached to the base, a worm gearriding on the carrier bearing,a clamp which is an integral part of the worm gear, the clamp removablyattached to the discharge pipe, means to turn the worm gear.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,238,799 4/1941MacPhail 266-16 X JOHN F. CAMPBELL, Primary Examiner.

R. F. DROPKIN, Assistant Examiner.

1. A DRYING, DISTILLING AND CALCINING MACHINE COMPRISED OF A FURNACE,HEATING ELEMENTS LOCATED IN THE FURNACE, A SCREW FEED PROTRUDING INTOTHE FURNACE, A HOPPER ATTACHED TO THE SCREW FEED, A ROTATABLE TABLE INTHE FURNACE HAVING A LIP AT ITS OUTER EDGE, A SPIRAL IN SLIDING CONTACTWITH THE SURFACE OF THE TABLE AND THE LIP OF THE TABLE, A DISCHARGE PIPEAT THE CENTER OF THE TABLE, A VAPOR PIPE CONNECTING THE FURNANCE WITHCONDENSER PIPERS, COLLECTING TUBES THAT SLIDE ONTO THE ENDS OF THECONDENSER PIPES, MEANS TO TURN THE TABLE AND THE SCREW FEED.